The best advice I could give is be yourself. Before I was on the American Idol show I made goals for myself. I said, "Who do I want to be, and what will I compromise, or won't I compromise?" And then, I stuck with that.
Carmen RasmusenYou have to realize that, if you don't get signed right away, it's not because you're not talented. It's not because you're not good enough. The stars have to align perfectly in order to get signed. And sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't.
Carmen RasmusenGive it your best shot. Go for it. If it's what you really want to do, go for it. Even if you don't make it, you will never look back and have regrets. You can always say, "Hey, I went for it. I tried my hardest. It was an awesome experience."
Carmen RasmusenMy parents always have taught me 'you're good enough'. So, whenever I got bad comments from the judges, or I'd get on the Internet and read what bloggers have written about me, I would get so down, and I would get so sad. The biggest support group was obviously my parents, and I'd call them. And they'd build me up.
Carmen Rasmusen